Dedicated to All Better

Whether treating a toddler in an emergency or supporting a teen through chemotherapy treatments, we are dedicated to the care of each patient. It’s through teamwork at every level of Children's Healthcare of Atlanta and with you, the family, that we are able to achieve excellence in pediatric care.

To make kids better today and healthier tomorrow

With a proven track record of providing world-class care to patients in more than 30 pediatric specialties, we are a model for other pediatric hospitals. Infants, teens and young adults belong in a children’s hospital where they can get specialized treatment from caregivers who know the important differences between children and adults.

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Seeking answers to challenging medical conditions

Research is a cornerstone of the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta mission to enhance the lives of children. In conjunction with Emory University School of Medicine, Georgia Tech and Morehouse, Children’s seeks answers to the most challenging childhood medical conditions through teaching and research.

Getting Kids on a Healthy Track—Simplified

We all want happy, healthy kids. But as a busy parent, helping your kids eat well and stay active can be a challenge.

At Strong4Life, created by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, our doctors, nutritionists and wellness experts create fun, easy ways to help your kids eat, move and live healthier. From picky eaters to passionate gamers, we have a slew of simple tips by experts who understand, because we’re parents, too.

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As a not-for-profit organization, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta relies on the generous financial and volunteer support of our community. Your donations directly impact the lives of each family served by Children’s and support many initiatives such as clinical excellence, research, teaching, wellness and charity care.

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Exercise and Adolescents

Exercise is an important part of keeping adolescents healthy. Encouraging healthy lifestyles in children and adolescents is important for when they grow older. Lifestyles that are learned in childhood are more likely to stay with the child into adulthood. Some changes in lifestyle can be harder to make the older the person becomes. The best way to promote healthy lifestyles is for the whole family to become involved.

Establishing an exercise plan

A daily exercise program is a fun way to share physical activity with family and friends while helping establish good heart-healthy habits. The following exercise guidelines for adolescents can help you and your adolescent plan activities:

Adolescents need at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity on most days for maintenance of good health and fitness and for healthy weight during growth.

Parents are encouraged to limit children's screen time (TV, video, and computers) to less than two hours daily and replace these sedentary activities with activities that require more movement.

Even low-to-moderate intensity activities for as little as 30 minutes a day can be beneficial. These activities may include the following:

Pleasure walking

Climbing stairs

Dancing

Home exercise

Regular aerobic physical activity increases a child's capacity for exercise and plays a role in prevention of heart diseases and type 2 diabetes. Aerobic activities are continuous activities that cause the heart rate and breathing rate to increase. Aerobic exercise can also help to lower blood pressure. To prevent dehydration, encourage children to drink fluid regularly during physical activity and drink several glasses of water or other fluid with no added sugar after the physical activity is completed. Examples of vigorous activities may include the following:

Brisk walking

Running

Swimming

Cycling

Roller skating

Jumping rope

Playing on the playground

Dancing

Gymnastics

Hiking

Soccer

Tag games

For adolescents, daily exercise may help prevent conditions such as obesity, high blood pressure, and abnormal cholesterol levels, as well as poor lifestyle habits that lead to heart attack and stroke later in life.

Exercise on a regular basis is part of a healthy lifestyle; however, some adolescents can exercise too much. If your adolescent begins losing weight and falls below expected growth patterns, or if exercise interferes with other normal activities including school, you should talk with your adolescent's health care provider.

Benefits from regular exercise or physical activity

According to the American Heart Association and the President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition, the following are key benefits of physical activity: